


Yellow Roses

by chilled_ramune



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-28 17:50:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20970593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chilled_ramune/pseuds/chilled_ramune
Summary: Suzui asks for Yuuki to visit her. Yuuki assumes the worst about her intentions. (For the October writing prompt challenge.)





	Yellow Roses

**Author's Note:**

> One of my fics for the October writing prompt challenge! The others are too short to post here, but since this one is longer, I thought I'd go ahead and post it. The prompt was "visitor," so I played with that to make something I've been wanting to write for awhile now. Let these two be trans gay trans lesbian solidarity thank you very much.

Yuuki told himself he wouldn’t be visiting Suzui. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see her-he really wanted to go. He just couldn’t bring himself to face her. She probably hated him and blamed him for everything that happened. He was always the one who sent her to Kamoshida, despite knowing what was going on. He never stood up to him or said anything. He should have put up with more for her sake, no matter what that meant. He should have told Kamoshida off. He should have done  _ something _ more than what he did. But he didn’t. He didn’t and that’s why all this happened. It was all his fault. 

Yet somehow, Suzui specifically requested to have him visit. Takamaki said she really wanted to see him...he couldn’t let her down, not again. He had to go see her. Even if she hated him, even if she yelled at him. Before heading to the hospital, he picked up some flowers. Nothing too special, just some yellow roses. They weren’t really close enough for him to add anything with any meaning deeper than “get well.”

Standing outside the hospital room, Yuuki almost considered turning back. Why did she want him? Did she want to yell at him? Did she want to tell him how much she hated him? Should he go home...? It would be so easy... No, that wouldn’t be fair. He came this far, he’d have to face whatever was coming to him. It was what he deserved, after all...

He knocked on the door gently, and Suzui’s voice came from the other side. “Come on in.” She sounded weak, tired...it hurt to hear. He thought for a moment about how this was his fault, about how he could have done something to prevent this...but he forced a smile as he walked in. Suzui smiled back at him. Despite her currently weak appearance, her smile looked so bright and kind...it was almost like she was happy to see Yuuki. “Mishima! I was worried you weren’t going to come. I almost didn’t even want to ask.” 

Yuuki was a bit shocked. Why would she worry about that...? Did she really want to see him? Why did she seem happy to have him there? It made no sense. He pushed his thoughts aside as he walked into the room and placed the flowers on a nearby table. “It’s good to see you,” he said with a smile. “I heard you’ve made a lot of progress.”

“I’ve still got a long way to go.” Suzui’s smile dropped a bit. “I’m probably still going to be here for awhile.”

Yuuki couldn’t think of what to say or do. Did he do something wrong...? He tried his best to think up a way to fix things. “I mean...I’m sure people are still proud of you and happy for the progress you’ve made so far. I know I am.” 

“Thank you. I’ll keep working hard to make everyone proud!” Suzui’s face lit back up into a smile. It amazed Yuuki how anyone could be so strong when he was so weak and worthless, despite not going through nearly as much as she did. “What about you, Mishima? How have you been holding up?”

“I’ve been okay...it’s weird not having anything to do after school.” Yuuki knew Suzui knew about Kamoshida’s confession, but he wasn’t quite sure how much she knew. Did she know about the Phantom Thieves? Did she know her best friend was one of them? 

“I’m sure it is...what about those Phantom Thieves? I heard some nurses talking about them. Do you really think they’re why-” They both shuddered a bit at just the thought of their former coach’s name. “-why you know who confessed?” Somewhat unsurprisingly, the topic of the Phantom Thieves was unavoidable. 

“I’m almost certain they’re real.” Yuuki nodded. He couldn’t give away everything he knew. He had to protect himself as well as the thieves. “I don’t know about you, but they have my full support.”

“They have mine too,” Suzui replied. “They’ve helped so many people...You seem so much happier than when I’d see you at practice, you know. Ann seems to be doing better too. I’m sure our teammates are the same.”

Yuuki rubbed the back of his neck. “Do I...? I never noticed.” It was true that he was happier without Kamoshida making his everyday school life a nightmare. But why did Suzui care so much about his happiness? Wasn’t she supposed to hate him? “You seem happier too.”

“I’m just happy the school is safer now,” Suzui said with a smile. “He won’t be able to hurt anyone else.” 

“Maybe the Phantom Thieves can help save even more people sometime!” Yuuki said hopefully. “I’m sure there’s lots of other people trapped like we are...they need people like the Phantom Thieves to help them.” 

“Sounds like you’re a big fan! I’ll cheer them on too!” Suzui smiled more. “

Yuuki still didn’t get it. Why was she acting like she was enjoying his presence? Why wasn’t she mad at him? Why wasn’t she yelling about how much she hates him...? It was only stressing him out more. Was she just messing with him. “Suzui?” He asked softly. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course...is everything alright?” Why was she so concerned about him?! She was the one in a hospital bed, having to go through all these treatments and therapies, and it was his fault! She was there because he was a coward! So why was she being so kind?!

“Why did you ask for me to visit...? I thought you’d be mad at me and hate me but...this whole time, you’ve been friendly and smiling as if you were actually happy to see me...I don’t get it...” Yuuki looked away, clenching his fists and biting his lip. He was prepared for the truth now, no matter how brutal it may be. 

“Mishima...why wouldn’t I be happy to see you? You’re my teammate, and the one person on the team who ever really reached out to me.” Yuuki recalled the times he would help Suzui patch up after “practice.” Was he really the only one who showed her such kindness? “Ann mentioned offhand that you seemed really tired lately, and I got worried. So I asked her to tell you I wanted you to visit me. I know how hard you always pushed yourself in volleyball, so I wanted to make sure you weren’t exhausting yourself some other way.” 

Yuuki couldn’t find the words to describe his feelings. Suzui was worried about him? She wanted him to visit because she was worried? She was the last person who should be worried about anyone, especially him! “Suzui...”

“Did I say something wrong...?” Suzui asked with a concerned frown.

Yuuki shook his head and managed a smile. “No, not at all. I’m just shocked that you care about me so much after everything that happened.”

“None of that was your fault, Mishima. I’d never hold that against you.” Her tone was so kind and genuine, it almost made Yuuki believe she was right. “I know it’s hard not to blame yourself but I hope you aren’t carrying that burden for too long.” 

It was hard for Yuuki not to blame himself, but getting that kind of reassurance helped somewhat. He managed a small smile. “Thanks, Suzui...I guess I forgot how kind you are.” 

“Well, I mean every word of it.” Suzui smiled as she looked at the flowers. “Yellow roses...not uncommon for hospitals...but they don’t just mean ‘get well soon’ you know.” Of course Yuuki knew. He had plenty of knowledge on some random topics due to late-night Wikipedia browsing sessions, and flower language was one of those. “They mean friendship too.” She smiled at Yuuki, who stared back in mild shock.

Friendship...? He never really had friends. All through school, he had always been the nobody, the guy who only got acknowledged when he was being made fun of. Did Suzui really want to be his friend...? “Sure, they can be that but...”

“Yuuki.” He was thrown off a bit by Suzui-uh, Shiho?-using his first name so suddenly. “You should come and visit me again when you have the time. I’d love to talk some more, and make sure you’re doing alright.” 

It was kind of unbelievable. Shiho wanted to be his friend? She wasn’t mad at him...she cared about him...Yuuki smiled and nodded. “I’d love to visit again Su-uh, Shiho.” 

Shiho beamed brightly, so much brighter than Yuuki had ever seen. “Good. I want to make sure you’re okay after everything happened. Don’t be so hard on yourself, okay?”

“I’ll..try not to.” Yuuki found himself totally relaxed for the first time in he didn’t know how long. He and Shiho spent the rest of the time until the end of visiting hours chatting, playing word games, and watching silly cartoons on the hospital. 

From then on out, Yuuki made sure to visit and bring Shiho yellow roses from time to time. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'll be posting any other prompts I find long enough to post! As always, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!!


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